


honey, i'm home

by Shorty



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Chairman Meow gets a mention but somehow in a fic in which he is a key player he never shows up, Fluff, Lightwood Siblings, M/M, Misunderstandings, background Izzy/Clary, background Raphael/Simon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2017-03-21
Packaged: 2018-10-08 21:53:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10396992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shorty/pseuds/Shorty
Summary: Magnus gives him a once over as he steps out of the elevator, and for a second Alec lets himself believe that it’s flirtatious.Of course, that’s all dashed seconds later as Magnus disappears through the door to his apartment with a loud, happy, “babe, I’m home!”...Or, in which misunderstandings are made.





	

**Author's Note:**

> this was based off of the fact that i call my animals variations of 'babe' and the became about that for like a split second. anyway, i wrote most of it while Not Feeling Good and it is long a winding and doesn't have a solid plot but i'm pretty proud of it lol.

“Couldn’t you have waited to move out until it wasn’t raining?” Isabelle grumbles, shifting the boxes she was carting from the truck they had rented as they stepped into the apartment building.

“Izzy, two weeks ago you were trying to convince me that I should wait to move until it wasn’t so cold because we might slip on ice when carrying boxes. I’d think you’d be happy about the rain.” Alec smirks down at her over his own pile of boxes.

“Yeah, well-” Izzy sighs. “Shut up, asshole, you know Jace and I are just trying to stop you from leaving.”

Alec nudges Izzy’s shoulder gently. “I know. I think it was pretty obvious after I first told you I was moving out and you both threatened to do that thing where you wrapped around my legs and never let go so I couldn’t walk.”

“If you’d told us earlier I could have planned my class schedule around his police academy schedule,” Izzy giggles as she did her best to press the elevator button despite her full hands. “One of us latched to each leg at all times. Damn! We should have just signed Clary and Simon up for the times we both have class. Except they both still think you hate them, so they might have been scared off too easy.”

“I do hate them, Iz.” Alec cocks an eyebrow, and Izzy just giggles again - because, okay, he might have actually kind of hated the two of them in the beginning, but now they were, however begrudgingly, friends.

“Hold the elevator!” A voice calls out just as the doors start to close, and both Izzy and Alec stick their feet out to stop them.

“Thanks,” the guy says as he walks - runs? - in. He’s kind of amazingly gorgeous. His hair somehow seems perfectly placed despite the fact that he just came in from the rainstorm. He’s wearing a coat and scarf, but Alec can still see the slight v in his shirt underneath, and he tries really hard not to stare or think how attractive that is. The elevator doors close, and Alec watches as the man's’ ring-covered hands press the button for floor six. “The other elevator is broken and as much as I try to tell myself I’m health conscious I do not feel like walking up six flights of stairs.”

“You live on the sixth floor?” Izzy asks, and Alec can already tell she’s planning on being friends with this complete stranger. “Alec’s moving in on that floor.

“Oh!” the man turns to Alec. “Unless something happened to poor old Mrs. Williams in 6C, that makes you the new resident of 6E, doesn’t it.”

Alec nods. 

“If I’d known the bastard who lived there before had finally moved out I would have thrown a party.” The man smirks. “I’m not a bad neighbor or anything, but the man was disgustingly racist and biphobic to me and many other people, so it would have been well attended.”

“I’m gay!” Alec blurts out, which is definitely not what he wants the first thing he ever says to his incredibly attractive new neighbor to be.

Izzy snorts, and the man lifts an eyebrow. “Congratulations.”

“No, I just-” Good impression now completely down the drain, Alec tries to calm down enough to form a understandable sentence. “I meant that hopefully I’ll be a better, less asshole-y neighbor, given my not-straightness and all.”

The man smiles as the doors open to their floor. “Well,” he says as he opens up the apartment door directly across from Alec’s, “you’re already _much_ more interesting.”

It isn’t until Izzy steps forward to stop the doors from closing on them that Alec realizes how long he’s been staring.

“If you’re done drooling after your neighbor, my Jace ringtone just went off which means he’s probably on his way to help us unpack and will complain horribly if we haven’t even started without him.”

“Maybe he should have helped from the start and not expected us to do most of the work before he got here.” Alec snaps out of it, shifting his boxes into one arm to unlock the door to the room.

“It’s a nice apartment.” Izzy says softly as she dumped her boxes on the floor.

“Iz, you’ve been here before. Twice.”

“I know.” She put her hand on his shoulder, smiling at him. “But Jace and I - despite all the shit we’ve been giving you about abandoning us - are proud of you. The way mom and dad have treated you is shit, and it’s great that you’re not letting them tell you what to do anymore. We’re - _I’m_ \- proud of you.”

“I.” Alec chokes. “It’s not like I’m really doing anything that great.”

Izzy just smiles before pulling her hand away from him and heading back out the door. “Ready for round two? We may run into an even hotter neighbor in the elevator if you hurry up.”

“Shut up.” Alec laughs, following her out the door.

….

Alec spends the rest of the weekend setting up his apartment - Izzy, Jace, and even occasionally Clary and Simon, helping him.

The apartment was nice - bigger than most people his age who didn’t have rich parents who had payed (and gotten him a well paying and slightly undeserved internship in college that had somehow turned into a full-time job) for everything prior to his cutting them financially out of his life could afford.

He even made sure there was an extra bedroom for his siblings to use whenever they wanted - Izzy and Jace were still in college, which was being paid for by their parents, so Alec had convinced them not to join his “parental boycott” as Izzy put it, but he could definitely understand the excitement of sleeping under a roof that didn’t come laden with rules. They had both slept over already, Izzy saturday night and both of them sunday night.

He didn’t, over the weekend, run into Hot Neighbor again, not that he was really paying attention.

In fact, it wasn’t until thursday that he saw him again - this time Alec the one calling out for the elevator to be held.

“All done unpacking?” the man asks as he chooses the floor.

It’s a little weird talking to someone in an elevator other than the perfunctory “which floor”. With Izzy there, it was less weird, but even though he and the man had talked once before in the same situation it was still odd; after all, he’d ridden up elevators to much higher floors with coworkers he’d known for a few years and never said a word to them.

“Yeah, finished over the weekend.” he answers after a beat or two too long.

“You know,” the man says, glancing at Alec, “we never did introduce ourselves the other day.”

He extends a one again jewelry covered hand, his nails painted a blue so dark it’s almost black, and says, “I’m Magnus Bane.”

“Fancy name.” Alec mumbles, before blushing bright red and grabbing the man - Magnus’ hand with way too much gusto. “I mean - Alec. I’m Alec Lightwood.”

“Fancy name.” Magnus smiles, retracting his hand. “Almost as fancy as mine, and even closer if your name is short for what I think it is.”

“Alexander.” Alec says, even though no one but his parents have called him that for years.

“There you go, plenty fancy.” Magnus smiles, and the doors open. “Maybe more regal than fancy, but still.” Magnus gives him a once over as he steps out of the elevator, and for a second Alec lets himself believe that it’s flirtatious. 

Of course, that’s all dashed seconds later as Magnus disappears through the door to his apartment with a loud, happy, “babe, I’m home!”

….

It doesn’t take Alec long to figure out that his apartment has somehow turned into the official meeting ground for all their friends. He’s of course given Jace and Izzy each a key, and Clary - being Izzy’s best friend and Jace’s ex-girlfriend turned best friend - came with them, and Simon came with Clary. And he guesses it wasn’t that much of a shock - his new apartment was only ten minutes from the old one he shared with his siblings. Clary lives in an apartment she shares with three other art students and Simon lives at home, and even if Izzy and Jace have their own apartment there was something addictive about being under a roof that wasn’t payed for by your parent; Alec still hasn’t gotten over the feeling even though he’s lived here for weeks.

He’s not really surprised when, Friday after work, he walks into Izzy and Jace, already well on their way to being drunk.

“Guys it’s only six.” Alec sighs, and Izzy perks up (Jace gives him a thumbs up and then goes back to texting someone on his phone - Alec should probably take care of that before he texts the wrong person the wrong thing).

“Alec!” Izzy calls out, somehow making his name have several syllables instead of just two. “You’ll never guess who Jace and I met in the elevator!” She pauses to take another sip of whatever it is she’s drinking - Alec doesn’t drink much and the last time he looked all he had was some beer Jace had left in his fridge, and that was definitely not what Izzy had. “The hot guy across the hall! He’s so hot Alec you should date him.”

“His name is Magnus,” Alec says, sitting on the couch in between his siblings. “And I’m fairly sure he has a boyfriend.”

“Alec.” Jace says seriously, pulling Alec to face him and staring him dead in the eye, “This guy is like. Really hot. You have to figure out one hundred percent that he’s not single before you give up. You can’t just abandon this, Alec.”

“I’m not abandoning anything!” Alec wriggles free from Jace’s strong grasp. “He walked into his apartment and basically said ‘honey I’m home’, so I’m like, ninety-eight percent sure he’s dating someone. Plus I’ve spoken to him all of _twice_.”

Jace and Izzy start to boo, and Alec is luckily saved from any further discussion of Magnus by Simon and Clary banging on his door. Jace and Izzy make no move. Alec sighs and gets up.

“Sorry we’re late,” Clary says when they’re let in, flopping down into what was previously Alec’s spot on the couch. “But Simon was late picking me up! Tell them why, Si.”

Jace giggles and mutters “why, Si” under his breath as a frantically happy Simon launches into his story.

“Ok, so you know the hot but grumpy and unapproachable guy in my entrepreneurship elective?” everyone nods - they’d been hearing about this guy since the start of the semester, “So I talked to him today!”

“And how did that come to be.” Clary needles, and Simon sighs.

“Well, I kinda spilled coffee on him, but he wasn't that mad! And when I offered to pay for dry cleaning he said ‘don’t worry about it’!”

“I mean, it’s not terrible?” Isabelle winces. “You could potentially build from there.”

“Exactly! See, Clary, Izzy believes in me.” Simon practically yells, pointing wildly at his best friend.

“Well, Izzy is very smart.” Clary smiles over at Isabelle, before shrugging. “But I still think you’re an idiot. In the most loving way possible, of course.”

Jace groans. “I thought we were here to get drunk and watch movies, not talk about our crushes.”

“ _I_ thought this was my apartment, but apparently you guys don’t agree.” Alec mumbles, but it’s not like he actually minds.

They spend the next several hours watching bad, cheesy movies, eating chinese take out and for everyone but Alec, getting spectacularly drunk; every time Alec thinks they’ve run out of alcohol Izzy manages to produce another bottle. 

By the time the last movie ends, only he and Isabelle are still awake - Izzy because she has an insane alcohol tolerance and Alec because he only had a few drinks and still has to clean up all the empty cartons of food.

“I’ve missed you, big brother.” Izzy slurs as she pushes the garbage into one pile. “I know it's only been a few weeks, and I know we come over here a lot but - I miss you. And it’s better here than back at our apartment.”

“I missed you too.” Alec says, pausing in his clean up to come take a seat next to Isabelle.

“I’ve been thinking that maybe - maybe I’ll move out too.” Izzy says, leaning heavy on him. “It’s - I haven’t ever really been what mom and dad wanted me to be, but.” Her eyes flicker to Clary, snoring on the couch. “I think maybe I’m even less what they wanted than I thought.”

“Iz.” Alec has never been good with feelings, but Izzy’s always been the best at bringing any out. “Mom and dad are mom and dad, and them not being ok with you isn’t ok. You are smart, and beautiful, and you can knock Jace out in a fight faster than anyone else who has ever tried. And if you want to move out, I think that’s a great idea. My spare room is yours if you want it.”

“No!” Izzy yells, pulling away from him. “This place is so you could get away!”

“Away from our parents control, not away from you or Jace.”

Izzy just leans into him again. “You’re happy here, and I know it’s not because Jace and I aren’t here but- well. You’re happy.”

Alec wraps his arm around his starting-to-doze-off sister, whispers a quiet “yeah”, and decides he can pick up tomorrow.

…

Alec has barely walked through his door one day after work when there’s a knock on his door. He opens the door to find a woman he’s never seen before on the other side - her blue scrubs looking more stylish than any scrubs should fairly be.

“Hi, I’m really sorry about this, but I’m Catarina, a friend of Magnus’, and it turns out I lost my key to his apartment and he’s busy so all he texted me was ‘a neighbor has a backup’ so I guess now I’m just going to door to door until I find a key.” She smiles sheepishly.

“Sorry.” Alec says awkwardly. “I’m not - I don’t have a key.”

She cocks an eyebrow. “Sorry then, I thought I’d start with you since Magnus had mentioned you a few times - you’re not just saying no because you have no proof that I’m actually a friend of Magnus’ are you? Because that would actually be smart.” She laughs.

“No, I really don’t have one.” Alec smiles - somehow put to ease by this woman’s calm confidence.

Just as she’s about to answer her phone makes a sound. “Oh thank god. Raph - another friend - just got out of class and he has a key and is headed over here! Sorry to bother you.”

“No problem.”  
….

There's a knock on his door - one of the few days he doesn't have Jace or Izzy lounging on his couch - and based on the fact that it's not a pinging knock he can assume it's not Clary or Simon or a sibling who lost their key. 

Still, he's not expecting it to be Magnus standing in the hallway when he opens his door. 

“Hello, Alexander.” he says - he’s much less dressed up than when Alec usually sees him; he’s wearing a tight black tank shirt and sweatpants and somehow manages to make that look really good. “I was making cookies when lo and behold I didn’t have enough sugar, which I really should have checked about beforehand but what can you do, so I was going to go to the store and then I thought, wait! I can do that super cliche thing where I ask a neighbor for some sugar.” 

“Oh, yeah, I think I have some - how much do you need?” Alec asks, and when Magnus replies he heads towards his kitchen. “You can come in while I get it - I keep most of my cooking stuff hidden.”

“You keep it hidden?” Magnus asks, and Alec can hear the chuckle in his voice. 

“Yeah, my sister, Izzy, she was in the elevator with me the first day we met, she loves to cook but she's terrible at it so I keep all of my stuff hidden. It even worked well when we shared an apartment; she never remembers to buy her own stuff.”

Magnus chuckles. “I saw her again a few weeks ago on their way to your apartment.”

“Yeah, she and Jace were telling me.” Alec pulls out the sugar. “How much did you need again?”

“Two cups.” As Alec starts pulling out his measuring cup, Magnus continues. “Who was the blonde guy she was with?”

“My brother, Jace.”

“You know,” Magnus says, taking the sugar Alec hands to him, “you’ve been living here for weeks and I think this is the longest I’ve ever talked to you.”

“If it makes you feel any better, the only neighbor other than you I’ve talked to is from two floors up and that was only because she knocked into me with a piece of toast covered in purple jam one time when I was heading to work.”

“Eugh, did it get all over your clothes?” Magnus asks, and when Alec nods he makes a sad sounding _tsk_. “So what is it you do?”

“Oh, I’m a prosecutor for the district attorney. I mean, barely one, I mostly just do menial tasks and type stuff up, but I like it. I know it sounds kind of boring, but my parents were both defense lawyers and both Izzy and Jace have gone into criminal fields too, so it’s sort of a family thing. Izzy’s a med school becoming a forensic pathologist and Jace is just finishing up his police training.” Magnus is still there, holding his cup of sugar, casually leaning on Alec’s countertop and looking like he’s actually interested in hearing Alec talk about his siblings. So, naturally, Alec starts to get nervous, and blurts out, “W-what about you?”

“This and that.” Magnus smiles. “Currently I own a club in New York.”

Alec lifts his eyebrow. “You _own_ a _club_.”

“Yes.”

“You bought this club.”

“Yes.”

“That must have been really expensive.”

“Are you trying to find out whether or not I’m rich, Alexander? Because there are less direct ways to do so.” Alec feels himself start to blush, but Magnus just laughs. “If you must know, I bought an old, worn down warehouse, and with the help of a few investors and a large chunk of my savings managed to turn it into a club that is doing quite well for itself.”

“I didn’t - I mean, I’m sorry - Ugh. I- I don’t always think things through before I say them.” Alec says sheepishly, and Magnus laughs again.

“Well, Alexander, I have my sugar, and I finally have some information on my mysterious new neighbour, so I had better be on my way.” He says, and Alec just nods, walking the man saunter through his apartment.

Later, there’s a knock on his door and when he opens it he finds a plate full of cookies with a note stuck to the top.

_**For the sugar. Thanks! :) -M** _

…

The next morning, Magnus is waiting for him outside his door.

“I know this seems a little creepy,” Magnus says, heading towards the elevator, Alec following, “but my friend just finished her residency so I’m throwing a party to celebrate it this saturday.”

“And you’re inviting someone she doesn’t even know?”

“Getting ahead of yourself there, but yes. And your siblings, if they want to come.” Magnus smiles. “We celebrated with few close friends a couple days ago, but now we’re throwing a ‘get way to drunk for a medical professional who should know better party’ and it’s a the-more-the-merrier type deal.”

“Sure.” Alec says, the doors opening. “I can definitely make it, and I’ll ask Jace and Izzy.”

“Great!” Magnus smiles, placing a hand on Alec’s shoulder before starting to walk away. “The party starts at eight!”  
….

They don’t get there until almost nine. Alec isn’t sure if he should blame Jace - who didn’t get to his apartment until 8:25 - or Izzy - who decided at 8:30 that she needed to change her outfit. The party is different that Alec would have thought; it’s not the type of party Izzy and Jace had dragged him to once in college. Sure, there’s alcohol, and music, and the place is crammed, but it’s got a classier, more grown-up feel to it.

Magnus spots them right away.

“The lovely Lightwoods!” He crows, a drink in hand. “Glad you could make it.”

“All the drinks are blue.” Jace says, charming as ever.

“Cat’s - the person the party is for - favorite color is blue.” Magnus smiles. “Every good party has a theme.”

Izzy and Jace make an immediate, accidentally synchronized, beeline to one of the many (three? At least? Who needs this many?) bars in Magnus’ spacious apartment.

“Your apartment is like, twice the size of mine.” Alec comments.

“Again, trying to find out if I’m rich, really Alexander.” Magnus practically purrs, before pulling Alec off into the party. “I want you to meet Catarina.”

“I actually think I’ve already met her.” Alec says, and when he sees the confusion on Magnus’ face he continues. “Tall, dark skin and hair, somehow manages to look good in scrubs?”

“That’s her.” Magnus says. “When did you-”

“She didn’t have a key, you said a neighbor did, she started going door-to-door.” Alec says, and Magnus looks surprised before smiling wide.

“She never told me.” They make it over to where Catarina is.

“Nice to see you again.” She smiles, drinking something so blue it probably is staining her tongue.

“I don’t think I introduced myself last time. I’m Alec.”

“I know.” She says, and Magnus not-so-subtly kicks her.

“That’s right, you said Magnus had mentioned me.” Alec laughs at Magnus’ scowl at his words.

“Right!” Magnus grabs Alec’s arms. “Well, you two have already met, so why don’t you go find your siblings while I go do my host duties!” He pulls Alec away from Catarina, and as soon as they get a safe distance breaks away to go mingle.

“What was that about?” Izzy asks, handing Alec an electric blue drink.

“Magnus introduced me to Catarina - the woman who just finished her residency.”

“Ooh!” Izzy says. “Point her out! I want to know what hospital she did it in!”

Alec points Catarina out, and Izzy plows her way through the crowd to get to her.

“The bartender wouldn’t give me beer.” Jace pouts. “She died the drink in front of me! And I’ve seen people drinking beer so I know they have it.”

“Grow up.” Alec says, taking a sip from his - disgusting, but he doesn’t really like any drinks, especially ones that look toxic - drink. He ends up having to shove Jace when his brother starts to laugh at the face he makes.

The party isn’t that exciting, since he doesn’t really know anyone. He hangs around Izzy, who is a social butterfly, and Jace, who can occasionally be charming (but usually manages to screw it up a few minutes in) and every now and then, when he flits in for a bit, Magnus.

After a few hours, Izzy and Jace are drunk and have decided to dance loudly and astoundingly uncoordinatedly to the not-dance music that’s playing, which would have been embarrassing if Magnus hadn’t switched the music to something more suitable and joined them, which led to the beyond-drunk half of the party making make-shift dancefloors around the apartment. Alec watches, partially bemoaning his siblings and partially laughing at the athletic two’s unusually clumsy dance moves until a sweaty Magnus joins him.

“Not much of a dancer?” Magnus asks, drink somehow in hand and clothes unrumpled, but speech slurred past the point of tipsy.

“I’ll leave the embarrassment to the other two ‘Lovely Lightwoods’.” Alec chuckles.

“You know,” Magnus slurs, leaning heavily into the wall. “I wanted - I wanted you to meet the love of my life.”

Alec’s heart sinks. “Oh.”

“He’s so - cute! And tiny. And not here.” Magnus pouts, clearly drunker than Alec had initially assumed. 

“That...stinks.” Alec says, trying to keep the same jovial tone he had earlier.

“He doesn’t like parties. Usually he just stays in the bedroom but my friend didn’t come so…” Magnus trails off. “He’s so cute. You would like him.”

“I’m sure I wo-” Alec is saved from having to say anything else by Jace stumbling up to him and slurring something about puke - he ends up rushing Jace and Izzy back to his apartment before Jace throws up all over Magnus’ apartment without even shouting a ‘goodbye’ behind him as he does.

…

“Ok, Alec,” Jace says the next morning, after the hangovers have worn off, “I’ve decided to double down on my insistence that you date Magnus - he’s hot, he’s awesome, and he made you actually enjoy a party last night, which means he’s a miracle worker.”

“Jace, he literally spent the few minutes before your barf-fest last night telling me how sad he was that I couldn’t meet the ‘love of his life’.” Alec sighs - ‘babe’ might not be a concrete sign of a significant other, but what happened last night was. “I thought maybe I was just imagining things before, but…there’s really no other way to take what he said last night. I mean, he went on and on about how cute his boyfriend was and how much he thought I’d like him - I was actually glad that you had to puke!”

“Maybe he was trying to proposition some sort of poly deal? Like, he wanted you and the boyfriend to meet to see if you’d like each other or something.” Jace says.

“I don’t - probably not?” Alec responds. “It wasn’t like that, it was more like ‘I’m going to rub my perfect relationship in your face and have also probably noticed the crush you have on me so I want to make sure to stamp that out quick’.”

“It’s okay, Alec.” Izzy says, patting his knee. “I mean, it sucks that you’re not going to get the rom-com ‘hot neighbor becomes hot boyfriend’ plot, but that just means that Jace and I should try to help you find someone better! And not taken.”

“Shut up.” Alec laughs, gently shoving her hand off his leg. “Maybe you guys should focus more on _your_ love life.”

“How would you feel…” Izzy starts, looking hesitantly towards Jace, “If I said that I was thinking about maybe asking Clary out?”

“Clary.” Jace asks, looking a little confused.

“Yeah, I mean, obviously if you say no I won’t? I mean, you guys did date and stuff so I won’t make a move if you’re uncomfortable with it.” Izzy assures frantically.

“Iz.” Jace says calmly. “You should totally go for it.”

“What?” Izzy looks shocked.

Jace smiles. “Without betraying anyone’s trust, I can soundly say you should _totally_ ask Clary out.”

“Shit.” Izzy laughs. “I was kinda expecting you to ask me not too so I’m not really prepared...to...do that?”

Alec laughs. “I still can’t believe that this means half of us aren’t straight.”

“Three fourths.” Jace says. “Potentially. I mean. Untested. But I’m pretty sure.”

“Man.” Izzy says, flopping her head back. “Mom and dad are going to be so pissed.”

And it shouldn’t be funny - ever since Alec had come out to their parents things hadn’t been good, but. The three of them sitting there somehow makes Izzy’s statement the funniest thing any of them have heard in awhile.

…. 

Not a lot happens the following weeks - everyone hanging out at his apartment slowed down with midterms on the horizon, and even when they were all there the only thing that ever happens is studying (with Izzy and Clary sitting closer together than usual - Isabelle hadn’t said anything about asking Clary out yet but something has obviously happened).

(He does have a chance to apologize for his rushing out at Magnus’ party the day after the event itself. Because fate is cruel, it comes in the form of Magnus asking if Jace is feeling better, because of course he’s also super kind and considerate, Alec already knew that.)

Alec knows when finals are actually over because Simon starts pounding on his door. 

“Is Izzy here?” He says as soon as Alec opens the door, pushing past Alec frantically. As soon as he gets a ‘no’ he asks, “Jace?” Alec shakes his head. “Clary?”

“Shouldn’t _you_ know where Clary is?” Alec sighs.

“Yes! Usually!” Simons screeches.

“Are you having a panic attack or something?” Alec asks, actually a little worried at this point.

“No!” Simon yells, but this seems to make him realize he needs to calm down, and he sucks in a few deep breaths.

“I just have something really amazing that’s also majorly freaking me out for dumb reasons and like 70% of the time I’m looking for someone they’re here and I was close and I need to talk to somebody.” He lets out in a rush, flopping onto Alec’s couch as he does so.

“Text them.” Alec shrugs, and then he winces at what he’s about to say. “And, I guess, talk to me until they get here?”

“Really!?” Simon yells, his eyes wide and his grin almost gleeful if not for the nervous twitching going on. “Alexander Lightwood is actually inviting me to talk about my problems?”

“Yup, you’re right, rescinding that offer.” Simon’s pout makes him sigh again. “Talk. And try not to be too annoying.”

“Right. You know my band?”

“Panda rockstars or something?”

“Not even close.” Simon snickers. “But to be fair we’ve changed it like five times since I met you so I guess I should be glad you remembered enough for that terrible guess. Anyway. We’re playing a show in three days. You’re coming. Izzy and Jace already said they’d drag you there if they have to.” This doesn’t even warrant a sigh from Alec; he didn’t know that this was going to happen but it’s entirely in character for his siblings so he isn’t at all surprised. “So there’s a bulletin board right by where my entrepreneurship class is held and I was putting up a sign for the show because it’s actually at a pretty cool club and Clary just finished a great logo for our band - which is Rock Solid Panda, by the way -”

“Oh my god, Simon, could you get to the damn point.” Alec growls.

“Right! So! Hotguy!” 

“The one you talk about every other time I see you.”

“Yes. He saw me hanging up the flyer. And he asked me about it. And he said his friend usually makes him go to clubs or bars on friday nights half the time and maybe he’d come. And we suck! We’re so bad! If before this he had the slightest inclination to date me - which he didn’t! I can promise you that! - it will all go away friday night so I’m going to go to a hospital tomorrow and lick the handrails if you know any particularly germy ones to recommend.”

Now, this was something Alec could understand - panic over someone you have a crush on - because the last time he’d had a crush well; maybe he still had one, but all that had resulted in was him getting confirmation from the drunken crushee that they were dating someone and then admitting this to his nosy siblings who told their friends, one of which was Simon, and then proceeded to force him to eat ice cream (which he didn’t mind) and watch cheesy movies (which he said he minded) for a night.

So yeah. He got it.

“Magnus told me the other day that his doctor friend Catarina has been dealing with flu patients all week at the hospital she works at if you want the address.”

“Alec!” Simon reels towards him. “This is why we never talk. Izzy and Clary would calm me down and Jace would be an asshole but in that way where you know he still likes you but you honestly will give me a hospital address. I know you will.”

“Do you think maybe like a preschool would be more germy?” Alec asks in lieu of responding. “I mean hospitals probably get cleaned more that those places and you could just suck on some toy from the germ pit of a toy box.”

Simon lets out a pitiful sounding wail just as Izzy unlocks Alec’s apartment door, which earns Alec two glares and Clary attempts to calm her friend down enough to get the story out of him a second time.

….

Which is how, friday night, Alec ends up standing in a crowded bar with his siblings and Clary trying to calm Simon down because the guy wasn’t here, which really should have been great but Simon was Simon.

Alec goes over to get everyone a drink - he could definitely use one right now and when Simon’s band is playing there’s an unspoken rule that you had to stand as close to the stage as possible.

He’s just getting his drink from a bartender when he spots someone out of the corner of his eye. “Magnus?”

“Alexander!” Magnus smiles, and turns to him. “Funny running into you.”

“Yeah,” Alec laughs, “I kind of assumed if you owned a club you’d really only go there.”

“That seems boring.” Magnus laughs. “Actually, I come here all the time - one of the bartenders is a friend of mine. And besides, I’m here tonight for a friend. He’s got a crush on the guy in whatever live band is going to play so I’m here to make sure he doesn’t bolt as soon as they step on stage.”

“Ahh.” Alec winces. “I know the guy in the band that’s about to play, and he’s kind of obsessed with someone else, so your friend might be out of luck.”

“Oh.” Magnus looks disappointed. “Shit. Now I have to go break the bad news. Would it be worse of me to just not tell him but stop pushing him to ask the guy out?” Magnus looks honest-to-god sad over this, and Alec feels bad for telling him.

“You’re invested in this friend of yours dating Simon, huh?”

“Well, I’ve never met this Simon,” Magnus smiles slightly, “but Raphael is my brother by everything but blood and he’s a had a crush on this kid since he first saw him in some class at college - I’m sure you know what it’s like to want the best for your siblings, even better than me.” 

“Yeah, I- Wait. Is your friend - Raphael, is he like, super grumpy and in an entrepreneurship.”

Magnus smiles. “Yes.”

“Your friend is Simon’s crush.” Alec laughs.

“And he’s done such a great job describing him.”

“Those were just the parts that stuck out. I don’t listen to Simon rant all that often.”

“Well, how about we watch the show together? And that way we can force a meeting between the two of them.”

“Yeah,” Alec smiles, trying to damper the rush of excitement he gets at just the thought of watching Simon’s band with Magnus, “that sounds like a plan.”

They head over to where Clary, Izzy, and Jace are standing just as Simon’s band starts to play, Magnus flagging over a broody but actually handsome guy to them (Simon’s interests seem widely varied so Alec wasn’t really sure what to expect by his description of ‘hot’).

“This is Raphael, everyone.” Magnus introduces everyone else to the younger man.

“I don’t remember you at Magnus’ party!” Izzy yells - one downside of being this close to the stage.

“He wasn’t there.” Magnus yells back, and then turns to Alec. “He’s actually the friend I was telling you about, who was watching my cat.”

“What?”

“I distinctly remember drunkenly telling you about my cat.”

Alec feels like the air has been punched out of him. “I thought - wasn’t that about your boyfriend?”

“What?” Magnus laughs. “No, it was - shit, now that I think about it, I didn’t specify that it was my cat.”

“I can’t hear you that well!”

Magnus gives Alec a little pull, and yells, “Why don’t we move somewhere quieter if we want to talk?”

Alec follows Magnus, but not without noticing the glare he gets from Clary for breaking the unspoken Simon rule, or the glare Raphael seems to be giving Magnus for abandoning him with strangers.

Once they get to the back of the bar, Magnus says. “I can’t believe I made it sound like my cat was my boyfriend.”

“Well,” Alec blushes, “I kind of assumed I’d meet your boyfriend at a party you were throwing and when that didn’t happen and you started talking about the ‘love of your life’ I kind of jumped to conclusions.”

“You think I _have_ a boyfriend.” Magnus looks surprised. “Like, outside of the misunderstanding at the party.” 

“Well, I’ve heard you go open your apartment door a few time - and I swear I wasn’t eavesdropping or anything, it’s just sometimes you say it really loud or I’m out in the hallway! -” Alec blushes, and tries to get back on track, “and you say like essentially ‘honey I’m home’ so that coupled with the party made me assume that you did.”

Magnus laughs. “Both my cat.”

“Really?”

“I started calling my cat ‘babe’ as a joke and it has turned into many nicknames of the sort.” Magnus smiles. “Now, if you don’t mind me making my own assumption, is this why you haven’t asked me out yet?

Alec just stands there, shocked silent.

“Because I’ve been flirting in what I thought was a fairly obvious way, and at times it seems like you were doing the same but you seemed uncomfortable so I didn’t want to push you into anything. But if the only reason for that was because you thought I was already seeing someone…”

“You - you want me to - you’ve been flirting with me?” Alec stumbles, and Magnus nods. “I - would - um - shit.”

Alec takes in a deep breath. “I would definitely like to go out with you - or ask you out, or. Whatever.”

“Great.” Magnus grins widely, and places his hand on Alec’s arm. “Now, I know we were planning on getting Simon and Raphael together but I’m sure they, and your siblings, can figure that out on their own, so why don’t we go snag one of the empty pool tables and call this date one.”

Alec smiles back. “I would love that.”


End file.
